Can you play PS4 games on your PS5? Backward compatibility explained

If you want to know if you can play PlayStation® 4 games on your PlayStation® 5, you’ve come to the right place. At Asurion, we know how important it is for gamers to have seamless upgrades, so we've laid out everything you need to know when switching to the PS5®. We’ll cover which titles can and cannot be played on the latest PlayStation console, potential issues you might face, and how to transfer saved files between PS4™ and PS5.

Which PS4 games are compatible?

The Sony PlayStation 5 is a backward-compatible console, meaning that it can play games designed for older consoles. Sony confirms that most of its 4,000-title game library can be played on the PS5, but there are some exceptions and things to be aware of.  

List of compatible PS4 games

As most PS4 titles are compatible with PS5, there isn’t a comprehensive list of what PlayStation 4 games you can play on the new PlayStation 5. It is easier to check the games with issues than compatible games.

Notable PS4 games that don’t work on PS5

While most PS4 games can be used on the PS5, several notable titles cannot be played on the latest console:

• Afro Samurai 2: Revenge of Kuma Volume One
• TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2
• Just Deal With It!
• Robinson: The Journey
• We Sing
• Hitman Go: Definitive Edition

There are several reasons why these games might not work on the PS5. These include issues related to software challenges, hardware dependency, and potential licensing issues. 

Games with potential errors on PS5

Some PS4 games are compatible with the PS5 but have potential errors. Below are some of the notable titles and their errors.

• Assassin’s Creed Syndicate: Users have reported some graphical glitches. 
• Horizon Zero Dawn: This game is reported to crash occasionally.
• Nioh: Some users have reported a frame rate issue. 

If you experience issues, try these troubleshooting tips for your new PS5. 

Playing physical discs on PS5

The standard version of the PS5 comes with a Blu-ray Disc™ drive, the same as the PS4. You shouldn’t have problems playing your PS4 discs on your PS5 console. To successfully play PS4 discs on your PS5, you may have to install updates and patches, but this normally happens automatically. 

Another consideration is that the game disc and the console may need to be from the same region. So, a disc from North America may not work on a European PS5. 

If you have a PS5 Digital Edition, you must buy an external disc drive to play physical game discs, as it does not come with a Blu-ray drive. 

Playing digital purchases from the PS store

To play your digital games on your new PS5, ensure you log into the same PlayStation Network (PSN) account you used for your PS4 games. Your digital licenses are linked to your PSN account game hub, not the physical console. Once you’re signed in, go into your Game Library on the home screen, and you should be able to access all your purchased PS4 games.

Transferring save files from PS4 to PS5

You'll need to transfer your saved files to continue playing from where you left off. If you have a PlayStation Plus membership, this process is easy. First, make sure you have enough storage on your PS5. Then, you simply upload the game saves to the cloud on your PS4 by selecting the game saves you want to upload.

On your PS4:

Go to Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage. From there, select Upload to Online Storage. That will upload your saves to your cloud storage. 

On your PS5:

Once you log in to your PS5, access the saved data by going to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4). Then, locate Cloud Storage and tap Download to Console Storage to download the saves onto your PS5.

You can also enable automatic save uploads on your PS4 in the same settings menu. Games can also be saved and transferred through a USB hard drive if you don't have a PlayStation Plus membership. Remember to keep the same PS5 parental controls if you transfer games for your children.

Upgrading existing PS4 games for PS5

If you want to keep using your PS4 games, you might wonder whether upgrading your console makes sense. The short answer is: almost certainly yes. Your PS5 is not only compatible with almost all PS4 games, but many developers have also added performance upgrades.

When you play PS4 games on the PS5, you can expect better visuals. These come through higher resolution (up to 4K), better textures, and HDR support. You will also get faster load times and higher frame rates through PS5’s Game Boost technology (up to 120fps in some cases) for more fluid gameplay.

Finally, you can experience a wider range of immersive features with support for the DualSense controller’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Additionally, you can play PlayStation VR games on a PS5 with a PS VR headset, a PlayStation Camera for PS4, and a PlayStation Camera adaptor.